Worth It
by Nivutece
Summary: Being in the Phantom Thieves was always worth it. Always worth the risk. Until the one time it wasn't. *Re-write of the last palace's ending, Spoiler Warning!*


"Do you think it's all going to be worth it in the end?" Ryuji asked, wincing as Akira applied an ice pack to his leg for him. It was a minor injury, just a fall in mementos. Akira just liked to spoil Ryuji with affection whenever he had the chance to.

"I mean, y'know...You think we're really makin' a difference?"

It wasn't a stupid question, not in the slightest. Akira just didn't think he really had the answer for it. He smiled, giving Ryuji a nod.

Ryuji smiled right back. It made Akira's heart flutter. They'd only known each other for a couple months, but he can't help but feel comfort in Ryuji's impish grin. The sharp canines were really something only a mother could love, Akira had thought.

Wasn't long before he found himself pretty smitten for them, too.

"Uh...That a yes or no, dude?"

Ryuji's voice snapped him back to reality. Akira gives him a puzzled look, earning a laugh from his boyfriend. Ryuji leaned in and gave him a little peck on the cheek.

He's so shy about affection, but it made Akira's breath catch in his throat.

"I said, 'It's always going to be worth it when I'm with you, right, partner?'."

•••••••

 _It wasn't worth it._

That's the first thing that came to Akira's mind when the ship exploded around Ryuji.

The second thing that came to mind, of course, was an overwhelming urge to throw himself into the water to look for him.

He knew it was an awful idea, just as soon as Ryuji geared himself up to go after that lifeboat. They didn't have the time to plan, they all knew that. Ryuji was the fastest to react.

He took his mask off, he tossed it to Akira, and then he took off.

Akira felt his heart leap right into his throat, threatening to choke him with every nervous pound as he watched Ryuji run.

Even with his bum leg, he looked so graceful. You couldn't even tell he walked with a limp or that he had any difficulty with his mobility. Ryuji lept over each obstacle with such ease...He made it look easy. He lowered the lifeboat and gave everyone the thumbs up. Akira even sighed in relief. He thought everything was okay.

It took Makoto, Yusuke, and Ann to keep him in the lifeboat. He fought with all of his strength to try and get into the water to go and look for him.

"RYUJI!"

Akira's scream nearly made Yusuke lose his grip. Akira was usually so quiet, so level headed...To see him lose his cool like this was certainly haunting, to say the least.

"We have to go! It's not safe!" Morgana reminded him, though it pained him to even have to say it. Akira's cold, tear filled gaze chilled him to the bone. Morgana regretted even saying it, Akira's look was so intense and so full of betrayal, even if Morgana had said the truth.

••••••

The silence was deafening as they stood in front of the Diet building. No one knew what to say.

What could they even say?

Ryuji was...He...

Akira slumped against the gate as he sobbed, though his cries weren't as loud as Ann's or Futaba's. Yusuke's nervous laughter quickly turned to tears.

Makoto could barely hold herself together. She could only manage to grab Ann and Futaba's hands to lead them away from the scene.

She was mourning, too. But now wasn't the time for a group crying session in front of the heavily guarded Diet building. Her friends were loud and that would draw way too much attention to them all.

Makoto could only put on her brave face to make sure that they got home safely. She would cry in the comfort of her sister's arms later.

Haru and Yusuke followed suite. Not only was it best to split up, but they couldn't stand to see each other cry, either.

Morgana remained at Akira's side, however, curled up at his leader's side as his cries subsided into soft whimpers.

They should leave like everyone else, but Morgana isn't about to pester him about it. They, realistically, couldn't stay any longer than a couple more minutes, but Morgana was prepared to spend all night out here if that's what Akira needed.

Morgana had always admired Akira for always having such a brave face. To see that resolve shattered as it was...It broke his heart to see him like this.

"Akira...?"

Akira's head snapped up.

Big, brown eyes and a tousled mess of blond hair catch his eye. He'd cried so much, his vision blurred but he recognized the voice immediately.

"Ryuji!"

Morgana, thankfully, jumped off of Akira's lap before his leader sprang up. Honestly, the force that Akira moved at could have launched his tiny body right up into space.

Brr.

"I thought, you...The ship, all of the flames...R-Ryuji...!"

"H-Hey, hey...Slow down, okay...? Oh...Man, your eyes are all red..." Ryuji frowned, as he put his hands on Akira's face to wipe away his tears.

He had only ever seen Akira cry like...once, and that was after Futaba's palace. Akira got pretty attached to his pseudo sibling pretty fast. It was adorable, but it was nothing like /this/.

"I...I know...It was really scary. The ship exploded, and then I..." Ryuji bit his lip. It was for the best that he spared Akira the details. His frazzled boyfriend didn't need to know about how the flames burned his skin and how he really thought he was going to die. "I...opened my eyes, and I was in the grass...A security guard chased me away, thinkin' I was homeless or somethin'..."

Akira took in a deep breath. His lungs burned, no doubt strained from his sobbing and screaming earlier.

Ryuji caught him off guard. He leaned in, kissing Akira hard, his own reservations on PDA tossed to the wind. Ryuji pulled Akira close, holding him against his chest.

They could have stayed like that forever. Neither would have minded.

"Hey, you kids! Get out of here! This ain't no lover's lane!"

A flashlight blinded Ryuji. He tried to block the beam with his hand while he groaned.

"Guys...Let's go!" Morgana mewed, before he hopped up and started to jog away. Ryuji and Akira are quick to follow.

"I'm...glad you're okay, Ryuji...I...I don't know what I'd do if..."

"Hey...Let's not think about the what if's, okay...? Let's think about-"

"How hard Ann's going to beat your ass for making Akira cry?" Morgana interrupted them, smirking back at them as they jogged along.

"Y-Yeah...that."


End file.
